Xx met metallic railway-tie



A. F. BROWN.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION men JAN. 31. 1919.

Patented July 8, 1919.

.unirnnsrarns PATENT ormen.

AUGUSTUS FREEBORN BROWN, OF HAVREDE GRACE, MARYLAND.

e METALLIC RAILWAY-TIE.

Application filed January 31, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

/ Be it known that L'AUGUSTUS F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Havre de Grace, 'in the county of Harford and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway-Ties, of which thefollowi'ng is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in metallic railway ties, and to the particular type of such ties which is identified with or designed for use on lines of railways employing electricity for motive power, signaling, etc., and wherein the tie is insulatedagainst the short-circuiting of the electric current.

A leading object of the present invention is to devise a metallic tie of a sectional character wherein the assembled sections or partsof the tie may be fully insulated from each other and may be united, by bolts or equivalent fastenings so as to make the tie rigid and the sections or" parts thereof sub stanti'allyimmovable relatively to each other, either vertically or'horizontally.

A further objectof my invention is to so fashion the opposed faces of'the sections or partsof the divided tie that a strong and substantial interlock is produced to thereby resist movement, vertically or horizontally, of one section or art relatively to the other, the interlocking faces of said sections being provided with an appropriate insulating material'and the uniting bolts being, also, insulated so as to'maintain an eflicient guard against the short-oircuiting of the electric current in lines of railway employing a third rail,or other means for conducting an electric current to the usual, motor of the car, locomotive or other vehicle, or for signaling,

etc.

.part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts 1n the several V18WS;-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a metallic railway tie, embodying my invention.

1 Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Serial No. 274,271.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontalseotion on the line 3-3 of F ig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a face View of a fragmentof the tie showing one of the matching faces, of a section thereof.

In carryingout my invention I may construct the tie of suitable metal and of any desired design, and said tie will be fashioned or provided with appropriate end seats, A, for the placing of the usual track-rails and of such rail fastening devices as may be deemed best for theparticular purposes for which the tie is intended. In this connee tion the tie illustrated in the present drawing may represent or be considered as embodiments of the ties and rail fastening features of my former Patents Nos. 1,127,350, February 2, 1915; 1,158,975, November 2', 1915; and 1,253,779, January 15,

1918, but it will be understood that the present improvements which are restricted to the construction of the tie proper, may be used in connection with other designs of ties and associated with different means for securing the rails thereto.

Instead of the single-piece tie of my for mer patents, I now divide the tie at a point between its. ends. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the tie is divided in horizontal and vertical lines. The line of division commences at the point (1- across the to of the tie and thence extends longitndina ly of the tie along one side thereof and for an appropriate distance, as shown at Z), and thence the line of division extends vertically as shown at 0, to a point near the bot tom of the tie, from which latter point the line of division again extends longitudinally of the tie as shown at (Z and finally turns at rightangles and extends vertically through the bottom of the tie, as shown at c. On the opposite side the tie is similarly divided, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The tie is also divided vertically substantially through its longitudinal center and the abutting broad faces of this last-named portion are fashioned with projectionsiand recesses which are adapted to interlock so as to. prevent relative movement 'of the section when said sections have been fitted 'together. In other words, it will be seen that the section, B, of the tie is recessed to form the vertically extending end shoulder, f, and to the horizontally extending top shoulder, 9, this latter shoulder forming substantially an overhanging ledge just below the top of the tie; the bottom of the section, B, is also recessed as shown at h, to form the right-angled shoulder or corner, 2'.

On the inner broad face of the recessed portion of the section, B, is formed or provided the vertically extending projection, k, and a recess, m, the walls of the projection and recess being preferably parallel and vertical, since they are to receive and interlock with corresponding or matching portions on the opposed section, B, of the tie.

Covering or extending over the entire surfaces of the projection, 70, and the walls of the recess, m, as well as under the top shoulder or ledge, g, and under the recessed bottom of the section, B, is a suitable insulating sheet, D, of appropriate material. That is, the entire recessed portion of the section, B, of the tie, and of the walls of the recess and projection and the faces of the various shoulders formed are covered with a material which is capable of thoroughly insulating said section from the opposing and co-acting section, B, which latter section has its inner face ribbed and recessed to substantially conform to and interlock with the inner face of the section, B. In other words, the inner face of the section, B, has a rib or projection, a, and a recess, 0, adapted to conform to and respectively engage the recess, m, and projection, n, of the section, B."

It will thus be understood that the tie is divided horizontally and vertically to form two matching portions, each provided with ribs and recesses, of which there may be any desired number and arrangement, so

that when the two sections are fitted together, the meeting faces are brought into close engagement with an intervening insulation, and a series of vertical and horizontal shoulders are formed which by their intimate engagement prevent the assembled sections from having niovement in any direction. In other words, the top of the section, B, in addition to its ribbed face engaging the corresponding face of the section, B, has its top edge fitting under the top ledge, g,

of the section, B, while the bottom .of the section, B, which is likewise provided with a bottom ledge, g, substantially corresponding to the top ledge of the section, B, fits into or receives the recessed'bottom of the section, B, each of the sections having its top and bottom portions provided with endwise abutting shoulders and the insulating sheet, D, before referred to extending throughout and entirely protecting and insulating every portion of the line of division of the tie, and providing an effective means for preventing the sections with matching bolt holes, 19,

adapted to receive appropriate bolts, 1", and nuts, 8, by which the bolts may be tightened up to hold the sections of the tie rigidly together,rsaid bolts being insulated from the walls of the bolt holes by means of insulat= ing sleeves or tubes, 23, which surround the bolts, and extend continuously through both of the overlapping portions of the tie-sections.

By reason of the foregoing construction,

I am enabled to construct a tie of sectional I character and wherein the section when once made may be quickly assembled to form the complete tie and where complete insulating of the tie may be effected and where the insulation serves as an effective guard against 7 the entrance of moisture between the contacting faces of the sections, and where all tendency of the sections to separate either horizontally or vertically will be resisted by the vertical and horizontal slmulders formed on the respective sections, thereby relieving the bolts of the shearing strains which would otherwise be brought upon them.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided horizontally and vertically to form sections having recessed overlapping portions, each of said sections having a horizontal ledge or flange, 'and said recessed portions having broad faces each vprovided with a rib and a recess, the, rib of one of said faces matching, and adapted to enter and interlock with the recess in the opposing section.

A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided horizontally and vertically to form sections having recessed overlapping portions, each of said sections having a honzontal ledge or flange, and said recessed portions having broad faces each provided with a rib and a recess, the lib of one of said faces matching and adapted to enter and interlock with the recess in theopposa ing section, each of said sections havinganedge abutting one, of the said ledges or flanges.

3. A metallic railway tie, said: tiebeing divided to form two similar overlapping portions wlth each of sald portions having a longitudinally extending. flange or ledge and a recessed face, said aces each having a rib and a recess so disposed that the rib of onesection will match and interlock with g the recess of the other section. v

4. A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided to form two similar overlapping portions with each of said portions having a longitudinally extending flange or ledge and a recessed face, said faces each having a rib and a recess so disposed that the rib of one section will match and interlock with the recess of the other section, the overlapping portion of one section abutting edgewise the longitudinal flange or ledge of the other section.

5. A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided to form two similar overlapping portions with each of said portions having a longitudinally extending flange or ledge and a recessed face, said faces each having a rib and a recess so disposed that the rib of one section will match and interlock with the recess of the other section, and an insulating men'iber between the abutting faces of said sections and substantially conforming thereto and extending between said flange or ledge and the adjacent edge of the section opposing the same.

(3. A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided to form two similar overlapping portions with each of said portions having a longitudinally extending flange or ledge and a recessed face, said faces each having a rib and a recess so disposed that the rib of one section will match and interlock with the recess of the other section, and a sheet of insulating material secured to the face of one of the sections and substantially conforming thereto and to the rib and recess thereof.

7. A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided to form two similar overlapping portions with each of said portions having a longitudinally extending flange or ledge and a recessed face, said faces each having a rib and a recess so disposed that the rib of one section will match and interlock with the recess of the other section, a sheet of insulating material secured to the face of one of the sections and substantially conforming thereto and to the rib and recess thereof, and insulated fastenings for securing the sections rigidly together.

8. A metallic railway tie, said tie being divided to form sections having subslantially similar overlapping portions, said portions having broad faces with interlockablo rib-and-reccss formations thereon, and each of said overlapping portions being also formed with a longitudinal rib or ledge against which the edge of the other section abuts, means for insulating the sections from each other, and removable means for rigidly uniting said sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AUGUSTUS FREEBORN BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

